


Rockabye

by EmrysBeard



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Asexual Character, M/M, Prostitue Dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 09:57:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10660170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmrysBeard/pseuds/EmrysBeard
Summary: Phil is a ship's captain who is just passing through, however he happens to run into an attractive young man who is offering something that Phil could never give.Based on the song by Clean Bandit





	Rockabye

**Author's Note:**

> Here's another story! I hope you all really enjoy it :) Life has been crazy for me, but I'm glad I was able to get this out. (Finally had time to write during Spring Break)

This is based loosely on the song RockaBye  
Down by the docks, a cold, salty wind seems to never stop blowing, ruffling the sails and causing all sorts of things to go flying about. Today is no exception, and though Phil has never been to this port before, he can tell that it must have its fair share of trouble with ocean storms. Shouting to a crew member to tie down the sails for the night, Phil snatches a pocketbook and then declares that he’ll bring back some fish which the crew can have for dinner, before leaping off the boat onto the dock. 

At 6’2”, Phil certainly is a tall man, and he finds that he has to occasionally duck through the sagging doorways in this town before he can find a shop that he half-way trusts has fresh fish. As the captain of a galleon, he needs to keep his crew healthy in order to reach the next port with their cargo in time. When he finally decides that he has a sufficient amount of dinner accumulated, Phil wraps it to keep it fresh, before ducking out into the cold, windy night.

The shops all have their lights lit, now, and the dock shines with an almost ethereal glow, the lights on the ships also creating a beautiful display on the foamy sea. The wind is still cold and strong, and it seems that everyone else has taken shelter, leaving Phil as the only person out on the dock. Phil marches along, hands in his pockets, searching for his own ship, when seemingly out of nowhere there's a figure in front of him. For a moment, he's sure it's a young woman, simply based on the feminine features of the person's face, the curves emphasized by a tightly fitting outfit, however on closer inspection, Phil realizes that the person in front of him is a young man!

“Hello,” the young man declares in a sultry voice, and Phil almost jumps when the man begins to slowly wrap his arms around Phil. “You look like you need someone to keep you warm on a night as cold as this. I'm not too expensive.”

It’s too dark to see the man clearly, however it’s clear that this young man is really no more than a boy, clearly younger than Phil. The boy has soft brown curls which outline his pretty face, which is shrouded in shadow and Phil can't clearly see. The boy does, however, have rather beautiful pouting lips, and strong, lovely brows and long lashes, features that Phil’s certain would look lovely on a young lady, and for some odd reason almost look equally good on this boy. He’s unusual, but certainly appears to have a beauty all his own. Phil wonders why such a beautiful person, man or woman, would pay any attention to someone like him.

Phil lets out a soft squeak as the man quite suddenly seems to have his arms around Phil’s waist, and is then kissing him with soft, intoxicating lips, before leaning up to murmur in Phil’s ear, “Think you can afford me, sailor?”

It quite suddenly clicks into place, and it makes Phil blush at his innocence, that this boy must be, Phil blushes again, a woman of the night, or in this case a young man of the night. When the boy continues to bat his long eyelashes at Phil, the captain lets out another soft squeak, before slowly beginning to disconnect himself from the boy. 

“Um, I'm sorry,” Phil speaks up quickly, a wild blush appearing all over his face. “I'm afraid I don't, uh, do things like this. I'm just… Just a captain of a… A galleon. I'm just bringing food back to my crew so we can transport our goods to the next port… I'm sorry, I really must go.”

Fear seems to flash across the boy’s face, and his grip on Phil seems to increase, holding him tightly with strength much more powerful that it appears that a boy like this would have. 

“Captain? I didn't realize you were such a catch, Sir. My apologies. You aren't a common sailor, you're strong, and brave, a captain of a noble vessel. I promise I'm cheap, just a shilling will do. I can make you feel wonderful.”

Phil lets out a noise of shock when the boy’s arms tuck fully around Phil’s broad shoulders, and he's kissing him again, pushing Phil up against the wall and then pushing a knee up to prod between Phil’s legs, and that's the final straw, causing Phil to let out an angry growl, before shoving the boy, who stumbles and falls to the pavement, staring up at Phil in terror.

“I told you no,” Phil speaks firmly, his hands quivering slightly and a lump in his throat, despite trying to keep up a strong front. “I… I don't do those sorts of things. I'm sorry, I can't pay you. I… I said no. I'm sorry, I should go.”

Phil’s just beginning to dash out of the ally that the boy had dragged him into, when he hears a soft noise of whimpering sobs. Against his better judgment, Phil hesitates, biting his lip. He’s always had a soft side for children and wounded animals, and though this boy is neither, he seems to currently have elements of both, and Phil slowly begins to turn.

The boy hasn't moved from where Phil had shoved him, and he is now curled up in a ball, sobbing softly into his lap as he rocks slowly back and forth. Phil hesitates for only a moment before rushing back, biting his lip as he stoops to kneel beside the boy, putting a gentle arm around him.

“Hey,” Phil murmurs with a cotton soft voice, blue eyes worried and confused. “Are you alright? I… I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry if I did…”

“If you're not going to pay, then please leave,” the boy spits softly, lifting his tear stained cheeks to glare at Phil. The anger and fire in the boy’s eyes is shocking to Phil, and the captain almost stumbles away, before squaring his shoulder and standing strong.

“I'm sorry, but I don't pay people for things like that,” Phil said again. “I don't do things like that…”

“I know, I'm a boy, it probably disgusts you. It disgusts everyone, but I have to try to live, don't I?” The boy growls, before swallowing and looking away. “If I disgust you so much, why are you still here?”

“I'm afraid you don't understand,” Phil speaks quickly, shaking his head. “You don't disgust me, and it wouldn't matter if you were a man or a woman, I just don't… Do things like that. Don't you see? I… I don't like it.” Phil flushes brightly. “You don't disgust me… What's your name?”

“My name?” The boy blinks his big brown eyes, biting one of his plump pink lips in confusion. “My name is Daniel, Dan for short. I… You're very odd. I thought all sailors like that sort of thing, at least from women.”

“I'm not a sailor, I'm a captain,” Phil points out teasingly. Dan lets out a nervous laugh, fully turning his face into the light to see Phil, when suddenly the captain lets out a soft cry, one hand coming up to tenderly caress one of the boy’s bluish, purple cheeks. “What happened?”

“Oh, that,” Dan swallows, looking away again. “That was last night. He… He wasn't very nice. But at least I got paid.”

A tinge of bitterness paints Dan’s words, causing Phil to feel almost bad for not accepting Dan’s offer. Still, the thought makes Phil’s insides twist all funny, causing him to shiver from something more than the cold. 

“Is that why you do it?” Phil asks, attempting to change the subject. “For money?”

“Of course, why else would I possibly want to rent myself out like a poppet to anyone to do anything to?” Dan cries indignantly. “Not all of us can be ships captains, you know.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Phil murmurs softly in reply. He looked Dan over, attempting to see him better, and that's when he realizes that the boy is nearly skeletal. The curves that Phil had thought he'd seen were actually created due to the ribs poking out nearly disgustingly under the boy’s shirt. Dan’s face is pretty, but gaunt, his cheekbones clear, but nearly unnatural. 

“You may not want to pay me for serves, but you certainly seem to enjoy looking at me. Maybe I should charge you for that,” Dan murmurs indignantly. 

“I'm sorry,” Phil blushes again, ducking his head. “Dan, when's the last time you had a proper meal?”

“Proper meal?” Dan nearly hoots. “When you're like me you take what you can get. Food is a rare treasure, something like pirate's booty. When I find it, it's nearly as good as a treasure chest. But why do you care, you can't stand to allow me to work for you, so you might as well leave me to starve for the night. It's not as if I'll get any other customers on a night like this, I just want to go home.”

“You have a home?” Phil asked softly, trying to puzzle out this strange boy.

“Of sorts,” is Dan’s reply. “It's dry, even if it isn't warm. Cellers seldom are, warm I mean. But I doubt a ship is much better, though I'm sure as a captain you nabb the nicest bed for yourself.”

“It is a perk,” Phil flushes. “However it's not as though the crew doesn't have nice enough to bunk beds below. Dan… Do you not have money for any food tonight?”

Dan’s silence is answer enough for Phil, who gives a single solid nod, before standing and then reaching down a hand.

“Come, it seems you get to see my rather nice bed for yourself.” 

“You're going to use my services after all?” Dan asks in confusion.

“No, we’re going to have dinner on my ship. I have fish enough for one more. Come on, it's alright,” Phil stoops to help Dan stand, casting him a gentle smile. “Come on, it's alright. It's warm there, you can stay the night, if you'd like.”

“Why?” Dan frowns at Phil, looking him over as if he can puzzle him out. “Surely not out of the goodness of your heart. People aren't like that.”

“Perhaps not, but I am,” is Phil’s simple reply, before he’s pulling Dan along the dock, his bucket of fish in hand, before they reach Phil’s ship.

“Captain!” A man on board calls happily. “I was worried you'd left us stranded!”

“Nope, just bringing back a friend,” Phil replies, leading Dan onto the ship. “This is Dan. Dan, this is PJ, my firstmate.”

“Hello there,” PJ smiles, his eyes twinkling at Dan. “You going to be a new shipmate or just here to look around.”

“I think I'm here for dinner?” Dan glances at Phil, who chuckles and shrugs.

“Unless we decide otherwise,” Phil nods in agreement. “Dan didn't have anything for dinner, and I have enough for all.”

“Thanks Phil, we’ll have this cooked up in a jiffy, the lads are awful hungry. You eating in your room tonight?”

“Sure, thank you PJ, and tell the lads that they can drink tonight. After all, it is cold,” Phil smiles, before leading Dan over to a door on deck. He pushes it open, and Dan’s jaw drops when he finds a rather cozy room, which a desk, a plushy rocking chair, a table with two chairs, and a bed in the corner with sheets and two pillows. Phil drops into one chair, before gesturing to the other. “Please, sit.”

“So you really are a captain,” Dan murmurs, slowly lowering himself into the chair. “You seem awfully young.”

“I'm not all that young, I just appear to be,” Phil shrugs, playing with a spyglass left sitting carelessly on the table. “But no, I'm not your typical old sea dog. My father was a captain, and a bit of a tyrant, however when he caught something at sea and passed on a few years ago, I took over his ship and have been transporting goods all over the Atlantic ever since. It's not the most glorious life, but it's steady work, and I make sure that my crew always has what they need. But I think you're the most unusual one… I've never heard of a male… Uh… You know…”

“Prostitute?” Dan supplies boldly. “No need to be shy, it's what I am whether I like it or not. I didn't have all that many choices, really. I was born in that town to my mum. She was once a merchant's daughter, fair and beautiful. I have a drawing of her from when she was young, inspired to travel the world like her father. She went off the ship at this port to get something to eat. She made the mistake of wandering past a pub where the sailors like to have fun… One of them caught her and yanked her into a back alley… Apparently by the end of the night she was too ashamed to go back to her father’s ship, so she stayed here, and here is where I was born. She was a woman of the night in order to feed me, and keep me safe. I was the prostitute’s son, and everyone spit at my from the time I was six years old. No need to look so alarmed, I didn't know any differently. 

“She told me my life would be different from hers, but she got sick, and I couldn't make her better… She died, a year ago. I… Everyone here knew me, they knew what I was, what I am, no one would hire me for anything. I'm unclean. I… I had no choice.”

Dan ducks his head, wringing his hands, his eyes turning red and a silent tear trickling down his cheek. Phil is about to reach out a hand to comfort him when there’s a soft rapping on the door. Phil hurries to retrieve the food, thanking the ship’s boy who brought it up and handing him a sweet from the box beside the door, before hurrying back to hand Dan his plate of fish. 

“Thank you,” Dan murmurs softly, gazing down at the food in awe. “I didn't know if you'd really give me any… No one had ever treated me like this before. I didn't know people could.”

“Of course they can, and they should,” Phil frowns, gazing at Dan with worried blue eyes. “You can't help anything, nor should you be ashamed of anything. Besides, your mother sounds like a very noble woman, standing by you like that. Now eat, please, you look hungry.”

Dan nods, gazing at Phil in awe for a moment more, before digging into the food and gobbling down the fish in what Phil was sure was seconds flat. 

“That was delicious,” Dan murmurs softly, his eyes glazed over in awe. “I didn't know food could taste like that.”

“It was?” Phil chuckles. “I'm afraid I have fish a bit too much to find it delicious anymore. I'm glad you liked it. Here, have half of mine. I had a full lunch today anyway.”

Dan tries to protest, but finds himself finishing another half a fish in spite of himself, and for the first time in his life, Dan is fairly certain that this is what it feels like to have a full belly. 

“So,” Phil speaks once Dan’s finished. Dan’s soft brown eyes turn up to look at him, face beautiful in the candle light, and nearly innocent and childlike. Phil wonders distantly how old this boy is, he looked anywhere from 16 to 20, with elements of both ages in his lovely features. He doesn't bother asking, however, and instead decides to ask more about Dan.

“There isn't much to tell,” is Dan’s nervous reply. “I've said all there is to say. I've spent my whole life in this town, but the last year had been hard. Sailors liked to have my mum service them, but it's harder to find ones that enjoy a boy’s company. Most of them are like you, they don't want a boy to sleep with.”

“I've said before, it's not because you're a boy,” Phil says sternly. “I've had many women ask me similar things and the answer is the same. I tried it, once, and it just… I loved her, Charlotte. I loved her with all my might. We were married for only a week. We were very young, but we were in love. A week into our marriage, we decided we wanted a child. We went about doing everything right but… But it disgusted me. I… I don't know why, but I didn't like it. If made me feel sick. I wanted to tell her, but she wanted our baby so badly. It didn’t matter though, we got caught in a storm, and the waves were bad. I told her to stay inside, but she was going to help if it killed her. I lost three men in that storm, and I lost my wife, washed overboard.”

“I'm sorry,” Dan murmurs softly, his eyes sympathetic.

“It's alright, it was a long time ago, four years in fact,” Phil sighs, forcing a smile. “Maybe it's better this way. She so wanted a child, and I couldn't give her one, not without forcing myself… It's been a long time since I felt comfortable talking about this, but I do right now. Thank you for listening, Dan.”

“Thank you for listening to me, for all the good it will do,” Dan speaks, his voice suddenly bitter.

“What do you mean?” Phil frowns.

“Well it's not as though it does any good, does it?” Dan shrugs. “After tonight I'll be back out onto the dock, trying to seduce men just to have enough to get me from day to day, wishing for something miraculous to happen one day, but knowing deep down that this is my life, and nothing will ever change it.”

“Something could change,” Phil speaks suddenly, his eyes lighting up. “A ship could take you, and whisk you away to a far away land.”

“And what ship would want someone like me?” Dan raises his eyebrows.

“This ship,” is Phil’s reply. “Dan, would you like to join my crew? We’re looking for a new shipmate since Chris just got married and went ashore.”

“Join your ship?” Dan’s jaw drop. “Me? The boy who tried to seduce you, even when you said no?”

“The boy who is fighting for a better life,” Phil replied gently, reaching out to take Dan’s hands in his own. “That's the boy I offer this job to. And I hope he accepts.”

Dan stared at Phil in shock, before looking down to where Phil was holding his hand, and then back up to his face.

“And what would I do in my job?” Dan asks suspiciously.

“Fiddle with the sails and be a bit of added muscle transporting things around. PJ and the others can teach you, as can I. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re serious, aren't you?” Dan murmurs softly. “About this being a job. You're not taking me on to entertain the men, or to sleep with you, you really want to offer me a real job? You really think I'm worth the effort to train?”

“Of course,” Phil blinks, nodding at Dan. “You're worth the same as anyone else. You can sleep here tonight, if you like. I'll take a bunk down below so you can thin this over.”

“I can't kick you out of your bed!” Dan cries. “Please, I'll sleep below.”

“Or we can sleep together. Not like that! Obviously. After all I've said, you wouldn't think that I… I would change that decision, do you? I just meant… No it's a silly idea, of course. I'll go below.”

“What idea?” Dan presses gently.

“Oh, I just meant… A cuddle. Which is silly, of course. Why would two grown men cuddle? I just remember liking cuddles better than kisses and… Other things. I liked cuddling with Charlotte. But now I think about it, it's a silly idea. It'll give you the idea that that's why I want you to stay on, and that isn't it at all. I like you, Dan. You seem a hard worker, and very nice, and I'd like to be your friend.”

“I can see that, you don't need to convince me of your intentions,” Dan gives a gentle smile. “I believe you. I also understand, though, if you'd like to cuddle. I cuddled with my mother for warmth, and it was nice just having a person by your side, a person you knew wouldn't hurt you, wasn't there just to get a bit of pleasure. I miss having someone that cares about more than how good I was as making them moan. If you'd like to cuddle, I won't get the wrong idea.”

And so that night found the two boys snuggled in the same bed, Dan’s head on Phil’s shoulder, and Phil’s arms around Dan’s waist. It felt safe, and warm, and it made Phil give a real smile for the first time in months. Dan, too, was smiling.

“You know my mother wanted to travel the world,” Dan murmured softly, his voice far away. “If I come with you, I suppose it's fulfilling her deepest wishes, to travel, and for me to have a better life than she accomplished. For her, I will come with you. For her, and for myself.”

“I'll do everything I can to make you happy here,” Phil promised, turning his head to gaze into Dan’s soft brown eyes.

“You already have,” was Dan’s reply, before he snuggled into Phil’s shoulder, and fell asleep. Phil gazed at him for many minutes that night, a small, curly haired boy curled innocently on his bed, a tiny smile on his face, and Phil felt his blue eyes shine.

“Goodnight, Dan,” Phil murmured, before kissing Dan’s forehead tenderly, and then falling asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Please leave kudos and comments :) I'm taking prompts for short stories at my tumblr FanOfDeFandoms, or if you don't have a Tumblr you can post a prompt here. I might be slow getting to prompts, but I would like to try writing a few!


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